Cigarette butt snuffing and ejecting devices



y 0, 1968 c. HUTHMACHER 3,394,711

CIGARETTE BUTT SNUFFING AND EJECTING DEVICES Filed July 23, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. A ES 75,? 6. H0 719/144665 3,

United States Patent 3,394,711 CIGARETTE BUTI SNUFFING AND EJECTING DEVICES Lester C. Huthmacher, Good'springs, Nev. (P.O. Box 74, Shoshone, Calif. 92384) Filed July 23, 1965, Ser. No. 474,371 6 Claims. (Cl. 131-235) This invention relates to ashtrays, and more particularly to cigarette butt snufling and ejecting devices for installation therein.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of simple, inexpensive, efiicient, and readily installed devices of the kind indicated, which provide for the manual jamming of the lighted ends of cigarette butts, between downwardly convergent snufling jaws for snufling the butts, and the manual operation of butt ejecting means associated with the snufiing jaws, for ejecting snuffed cigarette butts from the devices into associated ashtrays.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away and in section, showing an ashtray equipped with a device of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section, taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse vertical section, taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view with the ejector component of the device of FIGURES 1 to 3;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of another ashtray equipped with another device of the invention;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical section, taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5, the ejector component of FIGURE 5 being in a starting or retracted position;

FIGURE 7 is an end elevation of FIGURE 6, taken from the line 7-7 thereof;

FIGURE 8 is a top plan view of a further ashtray, equipped with a further device of the invention;

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged vertical section, taken on the line 9-9 of FIGURE 8, showing the ejector component thereof in a starting position;

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary vertical section, taken on the line 10-10 of FIGURE 9;

FIGURE 11 is a top plan view of a still further ashtray, equipped with a still further device of the invention;

FIGURE 12 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section, taken on the line 12-12 of FIGURE 11; and,

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary vertical section, taken on the line 13-13 of FIGURE 12.

Referring in detail to the drawings, and first to FIG- URES 1 to 4 thereof, a rectangular automobile pull-out type of ashtray 10 is shown, in which is installed a cigarette butt snufiing and ejecting device 12. The ashtray 10 has an inner end wall 14, side walls 16, and a bottom Wall 18.

The device 12 comrpises an inverted U-shaped frame or standard 20, comprising an inner vertical leg 22, suitably secured to the inner surface of the inner end Wall 14, of the ashtray 10, a horizontal cross member 24 extending outwardly from the upper end of the leg 22, on a level below the top of the ashtray 10, and an outer leg 26. The outer leg 26 curvedly merges at its lower end, as indicated at 28, into an upstanding lever 30 having an outwardly and downwardly turned finger-piece 31, on its upper end, which is on a level with the cross member 24. The frame is preferably made of flat spring steel stock.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the curved portion 28, connecting the outer leg 26 and the lever 30, is spaced above the bottom wall 18 of the ashtray, and the leg 26 and the lever are in downwardly convergent relationship, the spacing of the leg and the lever 30, at the 3,3 94,71 1 Patented July 30, 1968 lower ends thereof, being narrower than the diameter of a cigarette butt T. As a result of the last mentioned arrangement, snufiing of the lighted end of a butt T is accomplished, simply by forcing the butt, lighted end down, into the slot between the leg 26 and the lever 30, which then act as snufiing jaws.

For ejecting a snuffed butt T, from between the jaws 26 and 30, and into the ashtray 10, an ejector component 32 is provided in association with the snufling jaws. The component 32 is a relatively rigid form, preferably made of wire, which comprises a normally horizontal support bar 34, from the center of which rises a perpendicular ejector bar 36. From one side of the support bar 34, in line with the ejector bar 36 extends a first spindle 38, normal to both bars. From the opposite side of the support bar 34, and in line with the first spindle 38, a second spindle 40 extends, which merges, at its outer end, into the lower end of an upstanding operating lever 42, having an outwardly extending finger-piece 44, on its upper end. The operating lever 42 is located in the same vertical plane as the ejector bar 36.

The support bar 34 and the ejector bar 36 are positioned in the slot between the snuffing jaws 26 and 30, with the support bar near to and spaced above the jaw connecting portion 28, and with the ejector bar 36 equally spaced from the jaws.

The first spindle 38 is centrally and horizontally journalled through the jaw 26, and the second spindle 40 is similarly journalled through the jaw 30, so that the operating lever 42 extends in a substantially perpendicular starting or normal position, and is spaced outwardly from the outer jaw 30.

In use and operation, a cigarette butt T having been snuffed between the jaws 26 and 30, at either side of the upstanding ejector bar 36, the lever finger-piece 44 is grasped and the operating lever 42 swung, in a direction to push the butt sidewise out from between the jaws 26 and 30, into the ashtray 10.

In FIGURES 5 to 7, a circular table type ashtray 10a is shown, in which is installed a device comprising a standard or frame 20a, preferably made of flat, spring steel stock, which is of substantially inverted T-shaped form. The head 46 of this form is composed of a lower horizontal bar 48, suitably secured upon the bottom wall 18a, of the ashtray 10a, adjacent to the side wall 16a thereof. The lower bar 48 is connected, at its ends, by convex-concave upstanding connecting portions 50, with the outer ends of inwardly extending, shorter horizontal upper bars 52, spaced upwardly from the lower bar 48.

The upper bars 52 terminate, at their inner ends, in upstanding, upwardly divergent cigarette snulfing jaws 26a and 30a. As shown in FIGURE 6, the frame 20a is radially elongated, relative to the side Wall 16a of the ashtray 16a, and the inner ends 54 of the jaws 26a, 30a are vertical, and the outer ends 56 thereof outwardly and downwardly inclined, to the side wall 16a, the horizontal upper edges 58 of the jaws being shorter than, and displaced inwardly relative to the head 46 of the frame 20a. The effective snuifing areas of the jaws 26a, 30a are thereby located adjacent to the inner ends 54 of the jaws.

An ejector component 32a associated with the frame 20a, comprises a flat horizontal support slide plate 34a, slidably confined in the head 46, for reciprocation therein, the slide 34a being substantially shorter than the head 46, and being normally retracted toward the outer end of the head, by means of a spring 60, stretched between a pin 62, at the outer end of the slide bar, and an element 64, secured to the ashtray side wall 16a.

A vertical ejector bar 36a is fixed to and rises from the inner end of the slide bar 3401, the upper portion of the ejector bar being equally spaced between the upper end portions of the jaws 26a, 30a.

Means for operating the ejector bar 36a, in an inward direction, for ejecting a snuffed butt T from the slot between the jaws 26a, 30a, at the inner ends thereof, into the ashtray a, comprises a vertical operating lever 42a which is journalled intermediate its ends, as indicated at 4001, on a cross pin 38a, which extends between the jaws 26a, 30a, behind the ejector bar 36a, at a location adjacent to the meeting of the upper edges 58 of the jaws, and their outer edges 56. The operating lever 42a has a normally downwardly and inwardly angled lower arm 66, having a lower end 68 bearing against the outer side of the lower part of the ejector bar 36a, and an upper arm 70, disposed at an upward and outward angle, relative to the horizontal, which terminates, at its upper end, in a circular disc finger-piece 44a, Depression of the finger-piece 44a moves the ejector bar 36a and the support slide inwardly, so as to eject the butt T inwardly into the ashtray 10a.

The device shown in FIGURES 8 to 10, comprises a circular ashtray 10b, having a bottom wall 18b, and an upstanding side wall 16b, and an ejector component 32b, which is suitably and radially fixed upon the bottom wall 18b, and is spaced inwardly from the side wall 16b.

The device of FIGURES 8 to 10 comprises a standard or frame b, in the form of a solid, rigid elongated rectangular block, formed lengthwise thereof, from the fiat top 72 thereof, with a groove 74, having parallel spaced sides. The groove 74 opens through the outer end 78 of the block 20b, and has a flat horizontal bottom 80. At its inner end, the groove 74 opens through the side of transverse vertical snuffer slot 82, which opens at its upper end, to the top 72 of the block 20b, and has a concave bottom 84, which is depressed below the level of the bottom 80 of the groove 74. The slot 82 has a vertical outer side 26b and an inner side b, the side 30b being of vertical concave contour, as indicated at 86, and being angled upwardly, in an upwardly divergent relation to the outer side 2612. The sides 26b and 30b constitute cigarette butt snuffing jaws.

An ejector component 32]), associated with the frame 20b, comprises a fiat lever plate 88 of truncated isosceles triangular form, which is disposed in and is longer than the groove 74 of the block 20b. As shown in FIGURE 9, the lever plate 88 has a straight horizontal upper altitude edge 90, which is normally flush with the top 72 of the block 2012, an outer inwardly and downwardly angled hyptotenuse edge 92, and a vertical inner base edge 94. The base edge 94 is normally disposed along the outer jaw 26b of the snuffer slot 82. The base and hypotenuse edges of the lever plate 88 are truncated, to provide an abbreviated straight lower edge 96, which normally rests upon the bottom 80 of the groove 74.

The top 72 of the block 20b is formed, adjacent to the meeting of the top of the block 2012 and its outer end with aligned shallow upwardly opening notches 98, in which removably and rotatably rest the related ends of pintles 100, which are fixed to and extend from opposite sides of the lever plate 88. The pintles 100 are located between the upper edge of the lever plate and its outer end, and a flat disc finger-piece 44b is fixed upon the upper edge of the lever plate 88, at the outer end thereof.

A transverse horizontal support bar 34b is centrally fixed to the lower inner corner of the lever plate 88, defined by the meeting of the lower edge 96 and the inner edge 94 of the lever plate, and normally rests in the concave bottom 84 of the slot 86.

In use and operation, the butt T having been snuffed between the jaws 26b, 30b, depression of the finger-piece 44b serves to pivot the lever plate 88 upwardly, so that the support bar 3412, elevates and ejects the butt out of the slot 82, into the ashtray 10b.

The device shown in FIGURES 11 and 13, comprises a standard or frame 20c, in the form of a solid rectangular block radially secured upon the bottom wall 180 of an ashtray 10c, inwardly of its side walls 160. The block 20c is formed from its flat horizontal top 102, with a longitudinal groove 104, extending to the inner and outer ends 106 and 108 thereof, respectively, and having upwardly divergent sides, defining butt snuffing jaws 26c and 30c, the groove 104 having a flat inwardly and downwardly declining bottom 110.

A fiat lever plate 112, substantially the length of the groove 104, is disposed lengthwise in the groove 104, and has an inwardly declining bottom edge 114, normally resting upon the groove bottom 110, which, at the inner end of the lever plate, intersects the inner end of an upwardly and downwardly angled edge 34c, which serves the function of an ejector support bar. The lever plate 112 has an abbreviated horizontal upper edge 116, which extends outwardly from the upper end of the edge 34c, to an upstanding lug 118, surmounted by a fixed finger-piece 440. The plate 112 has an outer edge which declines, at a slight inward and downward angle, to a rounded lower clearance corner 122, which merges into the adjacent edge of the bottom edge 114. Notches 124, formed in the top of the block 200, at its upper outer corner, removably journal pintles 126, extending from opposite sides of the lever plate 112.

In use and operation, a cigarette butt T having been snuffed between the jaws 26c, 30c, depression of the finger-piece 44c elevates the inner end of the lever plate 112, so that its support bar 34c rises in the groove 104 and pushes the butt upwardly, into the ashtray 100.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, an ashtray having a side wall and a bottom wall, a device comprising a frame fixedly engaged with the bottom wall, said frame being vertically disposed and of inverted U-shape, said frame having an inner leg fixed to said side wall, a cross member, and an outer leg, said frame being resilient, said outer leg being spaced upwardly from the ashtray bottom wall, said outer leg serving as an inner cigarette butt snuffer jaw, an outer snutfer jaw fixed to and upstanding from the lower end of the inner jaw and spaced from the outer side of the inner jaw, said jaws being in downwardly convergent relationship and being spaced from each other at their lower ends at a distance narrower than the diameter of a cigarette butt, a cigarette butt ejector component mounted on the frame, said component having a horizontal support bar disposed lengthwise between the lower parts of the jaws, an upstanding ejector bar fixed to the support bar, means pivoting the said component on the jaws, and an operating lever positioned outwardly of the outer jaw and fixedly connected to the support bar.

2. In combination, an ashtray having a side wall and a bottom wall, a device comprising a frame, said frame having a flat tubular head fixed upon said bottom wall, upstanding upwardly convergent resilient cigarette butt snuffing jaws fixed on said head, mounting means for a support plate adapted to permit the plate to be reciprocated therein, said mounting means comprising a hollow head member having a horizontal elongated form for receiving said reciprocable plate therein, an upstanding ejector bar fixed on said support plate and rising between the jaws, spring means connected between the support plate and the ashtray side wall and normally retracting the support plate and the ejector bar as a unit toward the side wall, a vertical operating lever pivoted intermediate its ends on and located between the jaws in a position between the ejector bar and the ashtray side wall, said operating lever having a lower end operatively engaged with said unit, and an outwardly ofifset finger-piece on the upper end of the lever.

3. In combination, an ashtray having a bottom wall, a frame fixed upon the bottom wall, said frame having a block having a top and inner and outer ends, a longitudinal groove formed in the block and opening to its top and to its outer end, said groove having a substantially horizontal bottom, a vertical transverse slot intersecting the inner end of said groove and opening to the sides of the block, said slot having a concave bottom depressed below the bottom of the groove, a lever plate disposed vertically and longitudinally in said groove, said lever plate having a finger-piece on its outer end, said plate having a lower inner corner to which a transverse support rod is fixed, said support rod normally resting in the bottom of the slot, said slot having upwardly divergent sides constituting cigarett butt snuffer jaws, and means pivoting the lever plate on the block at a location adjacent to the outer end of the block and the top of the block, said finger-piece being located outwardly of the pivot means. 3

4. In combination, an ashtray having a bottom wall, a frame fixed upon the bottom wall, said frame having a block having a top and inner and outer ends, a longitudinal groove formed in the block and opening to its top and to its outer end, said groove having a substantially horizontal bottom, a vertical transverse slot intersecting the inner end of said groove and opening to the sides of the block, said slot having a concave bottom depressed below the bottom of the groove, a lever plate disposed vertically and longitudinally in said groove, said lever plate having a finger-piece on its outer end, said plate having a lower inner corner to which a transverse support rod is fixed, said support rod normally resting in the bottom of the slot, said slot having upwardly divergent sides constituting cigarette butt snufi'er jaws, and means pivoting the lever plate on the block at a location adjacent to the outer end of the block and the top of the block, said finger-piece being located outwardly of the pivot means, the major portion of the length of the lever plate extending inwardly from the pivot means to provide for gravitational return of the lower plate to a starting position from an elevated operated position.

5. In combination, an ashtray having a bottom wall, a device comprising a block fixed upon said bottom wall, said block having a top and inner and outer ends, said block being formed from its top with a longitudinal groove opening to the ends of the block, said groove having an inwardly and downwardly declining bottom, inner end portions of the sides of said groove being in downwardly convergent relationship to define a cigarette butt snuffer jaws, a lever plate disposed lengthwise in said groove, means pivoting the lever plate at its outer end to the block at the outer end of the block, a finger-piece fixed on the upper part of'the lower lever plate at the outer end thereof, pivot means at the outer end of the lever plate and the other end of the block pivotting the lever plate on the block to be elevated from a normal and depressed position wherein the lever plate rests upon the groove bottom and an elevated operative position, said lever plate having an inwardly and downwardly inclined inner end disposed between the jaws and service as a support bar for elevating a snuffed cigarette butt out of the groove into the ashtray.

6. In combination, a support, a standard fixed to the support, said standard having an upper end, said standard being formed with a slot extending to its upper end, the slot having sides formed with outwardly divergent snuffer jaws at the upper end of said standard, an ejector mechanism, means for pivoting said ejector mechanism to swing between the sides of said slot to eject a butt therefrom, a support bar movably mounted on the standard and disposed in said slot between the lower parts of the jaws, an upstanding ejector bar fixed to and upstanding on the support bar, and pivotable lever operating means operatively connected to the ejector bar.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,530,340 3/1925 Babb et al. 1,582,061 4/1926 Lund 13l-235 1,644,245 10/ 1927 Freeman. 1,778,998 10/1930 Giberson 131256 2,068,999 1/1937 Tierney. 2,177,142 10/ 1939 Ketcham. 2,374,442 4/1945 Lulham 131-235 2,529,871 11/1950 Hart 131235 2,588,208 3/1952 Covnellan 131256 X 2,597,320 5/1952 Hechtl. 2,619,093 11/1952 Fontneau 131216 1,419,141 6/1922 Ingalls 131-182 X 1,546,452 7/1925 Mulder 131-182 FOREIGN PATENTS 252,853 6/ 1926 Great Britain. 7,344 1896 Great Britain.

JOSEPH S. REICH, Primary Examiner. 

6. IN COMBINATION, A SUPPORT, A STANDARD FIXED TO THE SUPPORT, SAID STANDARD HAVING AN UPPER END, SAID STANDARD BEING FORMED WITH A SLOT EXTENDING TO ITS UPPER END, THE SLOT HAVING SIDES FORMED WITH OUTWARDLY DIVERGENT SNUFFER JAWS AT THE UPPER END OF SAID STANDARD, AN EJECTOR MECHANISM, MEANS FOR PIVOTING SAID EJECTOR MECHANISM TO SWING BETWEEN THE SIDES OF SAID SLOT TO EJECT A BUTT THEREFROM, A SUPPORT BAR MOVABLY MOUNTED ON THE STANDARD AND DISPOSED IN SAID SLOT BETWEEN THE LOWER PARTS OF THE JAWS, AN UPSTANDING EJECTOR BAR FIXED TO AND UPSTANDING ON THE SUPPORT BAR, AND PIVOTABLE LEVER OPERATING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE EJECTOR BAR. 